Council directs facilitated review and defers final vote on Link (Lindsay property) rezoning to Sept. 23

HARRISONBURG, Va. — After more than four hours of public testimony and a lengthy staff presentation, the Harrisonburg City Council on Aug. 12 directed city staff to facilitate a focused engagement process with the Link project developer and community stakeholders and set a proposed return date of Sept. 23 for council consideration.

The request before council would have rezoned roughly 2.75 acres south of City Hall (the Lindsay property and adjacent parcels) from R‑3 residential to B‑1C (Central Business, conditional) to allow a mixed‑use, high‑density project the applicant calls the Link. Staff and the planning commission recommended approval; the planning commission’s vote was unanimous though a commissioner later emailed staff expressing regret about that vote.

City staff and the applicant said the proposal is designed to align with the Downtown 2040 plan and includes proffers the developer submitted voluntarily. Planning staff summarized the proposal as proffering a maximum of 265 residential units (minimums and maximums were given by bedroom type), at least…